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The influence of chemotherapy on response of patients with hematologic malignancies to influenza vaccine
Author(s) -
Schafer Andrew I.,
Churchill W. Hallowell,
Ames Peter,
Weinstein Louis
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197901)43:1<25::aid-cncr2820430103>3.0.co;2-q
Subject(s) - medicine , immunology , chemotherapy , seroconversion , antigen , antibody titer , antibody , lymphoma , titer , vaccination , influenza vaccine
Bivalent influenza vaccine (containing antigens A/Victoria and A/New Jersey) was administered to 52 patients with hematologic malignancies, and pre‐ and postvaccination antibody titers to both antigens were determined by hemagglutination‐inhibition. In comparison to healthy controls, mean antibody titer elevations were lower for both antigens in all disease groups, being significant (p < 0.05) for A/Victoria in patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, acute leukemia and lymphoproliferative diseases, and for A/New Jersey in patients with Hodgkin's and non‐Hodgkin's lymphomas. In comparison to controls, significant depression of antibody response to both antigens was seen in patients on combination chemotherapy (p < 0.0005), to a lesser extent in patients on daily single alkylating agent chemotherapy (p < 0.05), while untreated patients did not differ significantly. Lymphopenia and depressed immunoglobulin levels were associated with a higher failure rate in eliciting “protective” ≧ fourfold antibody titer increases. The findings suggest that patients with hematologic malignancies who are receiving chemotherapy at the time of vaccination are unlikely to attain seroconversion to protective antibody levels with influenza vaccine.